Weingarten's
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Supermarket |
| Founded | 1901 |
| Founder | Hersch Harris Weingarten, Joseph Weingarten |
| Defunct | 1983 |
| Fate | Acquired by Safeway |
| Headquarters | Houston , United States |
Area served | Southern United States (Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana) |
| Products | Grocery stores |
Weingarten's operated as a supermarket chain throughout the Southern United States until it was acquired by Safeway in 1983. The corporate headquarters of J. Weingarten, Inc. were located in Houston's East End, Texas.
History
Hersch Harris Weingarten, a Jewish immigrant originating from Łańcut in the former Austria-Hungary, along with his son Joseph, established their inaugural grocery store in Downtown Houston in 1901. A second location was launched in 1920. Promoting the slogan "Better Food for Less," Joseph Weingarten was an innovator of self-service and cash-and-carry shopping models. By 1926, the chain had grown to six stores, expanded to 12 by 1938, reached 25 outlets by 1951, and extended to 70 stores by 1967 across Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
In 1980, Weingarten Incorporated divested its grocery division—which then consisted of 104 stores across five states—to Cavenham Foods at $12 per share (~$ adjusted), aiming to concentrate on retail real estate development. Management responsibilities were transferred to Cavenham’s Grand Union chain. At that point, Weingarten commanded an 18% share of the grocery market in Houston.
Following this, Grand Union sold the majority of these stores in 1983 to Safeway, Randalls, and Gerland's Food Fair, including 55 outlets located in Houston. Due to lease restrictions that hindered automatic lease assignments at certain locations, Weingarten's continued operating the Post Oak Center store until March 1986 while lease negotiations remained unresolved.
In 2021, Kimco Realty acquired Weingarten Realty Investors.